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miniver
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"The construction 'from whence' has been criticized as redundant since the 18th century. It is true that whence incorporates the sense of from: "a remote village, whence little news reached the wider world." But 'from whence' has been used steadily by reputable writers since the 14th century, most notably in the King James Bible: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psalms). It is difficult to label as incorrect a construction with such respectable antecedents. Still, it may be observed that whence (like thence) is most often used nowadays to impart an archaic or highly formal tone to a passage, and that this effect is probably better realized if the archaic syntax of the word -- without from -- is preserved as well."
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000526
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